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Subscribe to RSSAfter a life filled with both tragedies and triumphs, an 86-year-old World War II veteran receives his high school diploma. KCBD's Tiffany Pelt reports.
Jack Fletcher was in his senior year of high school in Spur, Texas, when World War II broke out. Graduation would have to wait -- 70 years, as it turned out.
Fletcher traveled the world after the war and now lives in Australia, but a special ceremony brought him back as an honorary graduate of the Spur High School Class of 2012, NBC station KCBD of Lubbock reported.
"I had to look to make sure they put a certificate in there," he laughed after the graduation ceremony. "I was afraid they were kidding me!"
Born in 1925 in Spur, Fletcher moved with his family to another town. But in 1941, after Fletcher's parents were killed in a car accident, he and his siblings moved back to Spur to live with their grandparents.
But before Fletcher's senior year was over, World War II erupted.
"Oh man, me and my three brothers all volunteered as quickly as we could," Fletcher told KCBD.
See the original story at KCBD
"My friend Corbit said I'll go to Europe to win the war, and you go to the Pacific and win it out there, and we'll get back together. God bless him, he was killed in his first mission," Fletcher told KCBD. "We had seven buddies of mine that were killed. I was pulled back to headquarters before they came up the ridge and that's the only reason I'm still here. It bothered me for a long time … I should have been with them, you know."
Fletcher left the military in 1946 and found his way back to Spur.
"When I got off the bus at the end of my lane, there sat David," Fletcher said as he began to cry. "That little dog … my grandmother said he waited at the end of the lane each day when I left."
As quickly as Fletcher returned to Spur, he left once again. He traveled the world working in the agricultural business. Fletcher found himself in Australia and helped to create the Australian Land and Cattle Co.
"We bought 4.3 million acres of country, a ranch about 11 times the size of Dickens County," he said.
But at age 86, something was still missing. On May 25, Fletcher came back to Spur to join the Class of 2012 as an honorary graduate.
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Jack Fletcher is seen during his graduation ceremony May 25 in Spur, Texas.
"The superintendent assured them I was no slow learner, even though it's taken me 70 years," he said.
Though age separated Fletcher from the 10 teens graduating, he had no trouble fitting in as he joked around with the group.
"If you would have waited until you were 86 years old to graduate, you could've had a camera come film you," he joked with one of the grads.
The first named called, Fletcher walked across the stage in his blue cap and gown and finally received his high school diploma. He ended the day by tossing his cap with the other graduates.
"Spur will always hold a special place in my heart," he said.
Msnbc.com staff contributed to this report from NBC station KCBD's Tiffany Pelt.
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This man is one of the very few men still alive that derserves a huge thank you for what he has done for his country. I am a soldier too. I know what it is like to have to serve your country. This man decided to serve when he knew how dangerous it was going to be. That's an amazing bravery that most people don't have. So he quit school to do it, so what? It isn't the paper that says doctor or lawyer that holds his grandchildren's attention when he tells his stories of the old days, its his journey that he had to take to get to where he is now. I wish him my best and wish there were more people that were willing to stand up and fight when our country is in the midst of being destroyed. After all, what would you do if you woke up one day to see your whole world changed before your eyes?
I wonder if he ever tells any stories. I learned most of my Dad's from one of his friends because he wouldn't talk about it much. I learned my father-in-law's only after I had joined the Army myself and was about to "ship out"; then he opened up to me in a way he never had to his wife (who was his girlfriend before the war even and stayed true) or his daughters. Most of the guys in the thick of it never talked it much, unlike my aunt's husband whom I don't think ever heard a shot fired in anger and for whom it was mostly one long adventure, who was full of stories and got a pension off of getting hurt getting off of a truck wrong, I think. He was always what came to mind when I thought of men who were "professional veterans", people who did well for a lifetime off of being in the service for a little while.
Thank you for your service and congratulations on Graduating & receiving your Diploma Sir!
My Father rest his soul actually did the same exact thing.He left school 2 months before graduation gave up a college scholarship to join the Navy and serve his country.I say thanks to all of the Veterans that have served this free country because without them we probably would not be so free.
Just went back and realized the Degree is "Honorary"... HELL, Jack EARNED that degree by his military service alone... The Honorary should be removed and Jack should be listed as a full fledged Graduate. His Life experiences and his fighting in what could be considered the worse Global conflict in History should qualify as enough experience and learning to qualify for a real and authentic degree.
Congrats to this Vet!
What a great story. You are a great man and i admire you very much. Best of Luck and i hope that you will fulfill the rest of your dreams.
Out here in the country where even "broadband" speeds are slow, videos never play very well. Did anyone who watched it hear if he spoke, and if so whether he sounded more Aussie than Texan? There was a girl from these parts who married an Aussie about twenty-five years ago and moved there. Now, when she comes back here for visits, she sounds (at least to this untrained ear) as if she were born and raised there, and this guy has been "down under" a whole lot longer than she has.
I have very good BB speeds and there was a long section of it that I could not hear either. I wonder if you did a search on youtube if it is posted there...
Sir: You are part of the "Great Generation" that brought this country out of the "Great Worldwide Depression", and I thank you for it. I followed you in Korea and Vietnam, but our country was never the same after you and yours. My dad served in WW II, and I am and will always remember him for that. God Bless and keep on farming.
Now he can teach his fellow nursing home folks, how to read and write properly.
Can he teach them, how not to use commas?
I am 87 year's old with a similar experience having received a War Diploma from Chelsea Vocational High School in April, 1943. In order to acquire the Diploma a student must have had a 70 avg., in his studies. The school had military personnel from the induction center encouraging students to enlist choosing a branch in the Armed Forces or wait to be drafted into the infantry. I choice the Air Force, and served for three year's.
George, thank you for risking your life for this country and its values, especially since I would imagine you've seen times when they weren't lived up to very thoroughly.
God is good all the time even 70 years later.aman.........................
God is good all the time even 70 years later.aman..................................
What a wonderful story! Congratulations on his graduation and there are not enough thank you's for your service to your country! God bless!
How fitting it is to hear this story just after Memorial Day. I cannot even imagine what it was like for you there in WWll.
The courage you have to service each of us and our Country is humbling for me to even think about. You have all the respect and well wishes I have to give you.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
THANK YOU for you service.
We had seven buddies of mine that were killed. I was pulled back to headquarters before they came up the ridge and that's the only reason I'm still here. It bothered me for a long time … I should have been with them, you know."
God had other plans for you.
I think its a awesome thing for him to do, Finally a nice piece instead of murders and such.
Thank you Mr. Fletcher. My father also followed the call to duty
as you did. He graduated in Jan. 1942 at a special graduation for all but one
of his fellow male graduates. He was also born in 1925, and enlisted in the
Thank you Mr. Fletcher. My father also followed the call to duty
as you did. He graduated in Jan. 1942 at a special graduation for all but one
of his fellow male graduates. He was also born in 1925, and enlisted in the
Navy after Pearl Harbor. This was the greatest generation of Americans and we all
owe them a debt for our freedom because without them and their service, the
world would be far different from what it is today. And again Thank you Mr.
Fletcher you earned that degree many time over.
That's one Diploma that got Earned in Full! Well Done Jack Fletcher!
Learn something NEW Everyday!
Goes to show you that high school diploma or GED is something important and missed if not gotten.
Even if you created a company that owns 4.3 million acres of cattle land fought that hard war and saw all the developments up til today; he wanted that paper.
I am glad he got it. Hope he rubbed off a little on his fellow graduates. And congratulations to them as well!
My grandson is in the high school class of 2012 - much respect for him - it doesn't come easy.
Patriotism (duty, honor, country) took precedence to everything back then. Do you think we will ever be such a great nation ever again? - RC
Mr. Fletcher, I want to congratulate you on your achievements and Thank you sir for your service to keep this wonderful country free. Now the part about the dog waiting at the end of the lane everyday brought a tear to my eyes and put a lump in my throat.